Process for improving fabrics containing cellulosic fibers

ABSTRACT

col of average molecular weight between 105 and 108 as an agent for increasing the absorptivity of the cellulose fabric and a textile improving agent.

2 United States Patent [54] PROCESS FOR IMPROVING FABRICS CONTAINING CELLULOSIC FIBERS 4 Claims, No Drawings s21 u.s.c| 1171137,

8/93,117/138.5,117/138.8F,117/138.8 N, 117/l38.8JA,ll7/139.5CQ,117/141,117/143 51 1111.01 ..D06ml5/10, C09k 3/28, C09b 67/00 50 Field ofSearch 252/010. 1;

260/2 EP, 2 A, 29.2 EP; 8/93; 117/143 R, 138.5, 161 LN, 136,139.5 CQ, 138.8 F, 138.8 N, 138.8 JA, 141, 144

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,970,578 8/1934 Schoelleret a1. .1 260/458 2,479,275 8/1949 Sowa 117/138.5 2,923,690 2/1960 Bedoit. 260/2 3,063,869 11/1962 Roth 117/161 X 3,067,159 12/1962 Musser 117/161 X 3,200,035 8/1965 Martin et a1. 117/l38.5 X 3,450,658 6/1969 Morison 260/2 X OTHER REFERENCES Valko et al., Textile Research Journal, Vol. 32, pp. 331- 337, Apr. 1962 Mohos, Chem. Abstracts, Vol. 58, pg. 14187b, Sept. 1962 Hartley et al., Chem. Abstracts, V01. 60, pg. 7388c, Dec. 1963 Pierce et a1., Textile Research Journal, Vol. 34, pp. 552- 558,.lune 1964 Glutz,Cl1em. Abstracts, Vol. 65,pg. 18420c, Apr. 1966 Primary Examiner-William D. Martin Assistant Examiner-Harry .l. Gwinnell Attorneys-Harry Goldsmith, Joseph G. Kolodny, Bryant W.

Brennan and Edward J. Sites ABSTRACT: The present invention is concerned with the use of high molecular polyethylene glycol as a means for increasing the absorptivity of cellulosic fabrics. It is preferably used in applying to the fabric an aqueous preparation that contains a dyestuff, a flameproofing agent, a hydrophobizing agent or an antimycotic PROCESS FOR IMPROVING FABRICS CONTAINING CELLULOSIC FIBERS The present invention is concerned with the use of highmolecular polyethyleneglycol as a means for increasing the absorptivity of cellulosic fabrics for aqueous preparations used for improving them.

The aqueous preparations used for improving purposes are in the first place baths used for impregnating cellulosic fabrics, whose absorptivity for the bath is increased by the addition of high-molecular polyethyleneglycol. Preparations for coating or printing cellulosic fabrics, especially printing inks for screen printing are in addition suitable. By the addition of high-molecular polyethyleneglycol in an amount of, for exampie, 0.] to 2 g. per kg. of printing ink the absorptivity of the fabric to be printed is increased.

As a rule a polyethyleneglycol is used that has an average molecular weight from 10 to preferably from 10 to 10''. Polyethyleneglycols of such high molecular weights are prepared from alkylene oxides, preferably from ethylene oxide, and are water-soluble. They are obtained in the form of white, dry, fine powders which are easy to pour.

When a small amount, preferably 0.1 to 2 g. per liter, of these polyethyleneglycols is added to an impregnating liquor, the absorptivity of the fabric is substantially increased. Particularly suitable is an addition of 0.25 to l g. of polyethyleneglycol per liter of impregnating liquor.

By cellulosic fabrics are meant fabrics of native or regenerated cellulose, or mixed weaves of cellulose and other fibers, for example polyester, polyamide, polyacrylonitrile or wool fibers.

These polyethyleneglycols are especially suitable for increasing the absorptivity of the fabrics for the liquor when it is desired to impregnate fabrics having poor absorptivity, for example tarpaulins.

Whereas on readily absorbent fabrics the conventional wetting agents produce no increase and on poorly absorbent fabrics only little increase in the absorptivity for the liquor, a distinct or even a substantial improvement in the absorptivity is achieved with the use of the high-molecular polyethyleneglycols.

The cellulosic fabrics may beimpregnated in the usual manner, for example by the immersion or exhaustion method; it is of special advantage to pad the fabrics.

inter alia, the high-molecular polyethyleneglycols are used in impregnating liquors to provide cellulosic fabrics with, for example, an antimicrobial, crease-resistant, shrink-resistant, oil-repellent soft-handle and especially a mouldproof, flameproof or hydrophobic finish. These polyethyleneglycols may also be incorporated with dyebaths.

The highmolecular polyethyleneglycols have the further advantage that they are readily compatible with other adjuvants and improving agents so that, for example, when used in a hydrophobizing process they do not impair the final hydrophobic effects achieved. Furthermore, in their practical application the high-molecular polyethyleneglycols practically produce no foaming.

The impregnating liquors may, of course, contain in addition to polyethyleneglycol and the improving agent various other adjuvants, for example further wetting agents, thickeners, emulsifiers, solubilizers or migration inhibitors.

The impregnating liquors are advantageously prepared by slowly sprinkling the polyethyleneglycol into cold water and cautiously stirring until all has dissolved. Vigorous stirring could destroy the long polymer chains, so that the activity of the impregnating adjuvants in increasing the liquor absorption could be substantially annulled.

Accordingly, the present invention includes also a process for improving, especially by impregnating, cellulosic fabrics, characterized in that the aqueous preparation for improving the fabric contains as a means for increasing the absorptivity, high-molecular polyethyleneglycol.

Percentages and parts in the following examples are by weight.

EXAMPLE 1 To measure the liquor absorption fabrics of good and poor absorptivity are padded in baths containing different wetting agents. All baths contain per liter:

400 g. of an percent aqueous solution of 3- (dimethylphosphono)-methylolpropionamide 80 g. of a 60 percent aqueous solution of a methylolmelamine methyl ether lO g. of urea 20 ml. of a 20 percent aqueous polyethylene emulsion and 4 g. of ammonium chloride.

The following wetting agents are further added to such a bath:

bath 1: no wetting agent bath 2: l0 g./iiter ofa 12.5 percent solution ofa condensation product of 1 mol of p-tertiary octylphenol with 8 mols of ethylene oxide bath 3: 50 g./liter of a wetting emulsion consisting of 22 g. of a reaction product of 80 parts of a hexamethylolmelamine butyl ether with parts of a polyethyleneglycol, mol wt. 4000 408 g. of water and 570 g. of cyclohexanol.

bath 4: 0.25 g./liter of a polyethyleneglycol, mol wt. 10 to 10 bath 5: 0.5 g./liter of a polyethyleneglycol, mol wt. 10 to Padding in the baths 1 to 5 produces the following liquor absorption values:

Fabric ofliquor absorbed in bath Cotton serge mercerized and bleached;

absorptivity good 8] 8] 83 88 I03 Cellulosic tarpaulin fabric,

crude; absorptivity poor 30 38 56 67 77 EXAMPLE 2 Fabric 7: liquor absorption in bath l 2 Cotton serge mercerized and bleached 81.5 103 (absorptivity good) cellulosic tarpaulin fabric (absorptivity poor) 30 77 The padded fabrics are dried at 80 C. and the phosphorus content on the fabric determined:

Fabric k of phosphorus on fabric padded in bath l cellulose serge merccrized and bleached cellulosic turpaulin fabric ln keeping with the increase in liquor absorbed the flameproof finishes with addition of polyethyleneglycol also display a higher phosphorus content.

EXAMPLE 3 Wetting agents to be used in hydrophobizing must not have any "rewetting" properties. Therefore, we compare here highmolecular polyethyleneglycol with the wetting emulsion acg cording to example 1 in bath 3 in hydrophobizing and a combined hydrophobizingcflameproofing treatment.

The baths are composed as follows:

a condensation product of 1 mol of triethanolamine with 1 mol of a stearic acid hexamethylolmelamine methyl ether condensate; 45% paraffin wax, M.P. 60 C.; tetrachlorethylenei Acetic acid, 40%

Aluminium sulphate, cryst Wetting emulsion from bath 3 in Example 1.

Polyethyleneglycol, mol. weight G /l 0.75 0. 75

Liquor absorbed by cellulose Percent.. 69 59 82 80 106 serge on being padded.

The waterrepellency is tested by way of the water absorption after a short spray. This so-called spray test is performed according to SVMT 25/D 1332 (1950) or ASTM D 583-40T 1944) or AATCC Standard Test Method 22-52:

Percent of water absorbed by the fabrics treated with bath N0.

Fabric 1 2 3 4 5 Cellulose serge, finished as is 1. 8 Cellulose serge, finished and after 3 SNV-3 washes i In a further test, the so-called Bundesmann test, the waterrepellency of the fabric is determined by the water absorbed and on the strength of the water passed during the spray test. This Bundesmann test is carried out according to SNV 98 575 1963).

Testing fabrics treated with bath No.

Cellulose serge, finished 1 2 3 4 5 As is:

Percent water absorbed 14. 5 Mi. of water passed 19 After 3 SNV-3 washes:

Percent water absorbed. Ml. of water passed 32 2!) 86 (ill EXAMPLE 4 Crude cotton tarpaulin fabric is padded at 20 C. as follows:

Liquor retained Liquor absorbed referred to preparation 0 Finish Liquor A 16.35 g. of preparation Q/liter B 2.28 g. of preparation Q/liter 0.5 gi/litcr of polyethyleneglycol of mol weight ID" to lo Preparation Q: Q is an aqueous preparation containing a reaction product of phenyl-mercuric acetate and dimethylolmelamine. The preparation contains, referred to the starting substances, 4 percent of phenyl-mercuric acetate and 10 percent ofdimethylolmelamine.

The padded fabric is dried, using in both finishing operations the identical roller pressure.

The two finishes are then tested for their efficacy in preventing the growth of micro-organisms by placing round blanks of 25 mm. diameter of the two finished tarpaulin fabrics on beerwort-agar plates and inoculating the plates with Aspergillus niger. The plates are then incubated for 72 hours at 30 C.

The evaluation extends, on one hand, to the inhibitory zone found around the blanks and, on the other hand, to the growth detected microscopically underneath and/or on the fabric:

after SNV 958M wash 5 mm. inhibitory zone no inhibitory zone SNV 814 washing: The fabric is washed in an aqueous solution of 5 g. of soap and 2 g. of anhydrous sodium carbonate per liter at a goods-to-liquor ratio of 1:50 for 30 minutes at 95 C. in a washing machine containing 10 steel balls.

The addition of polyethyleneglycol to the bath for finish B very substantially increases the amount ofliquor retained after squeezing and ensures-for an equal content of active substance on the fabric-a better resistance of the mould-resistant finish to washing.

EXAMPLE 5 To test the increased liquor absorption of cellulosic fabrics in dyebaths containing high-molecular polyethyleneglycol specimens of cotton tricot are padded in liquors containing per liter, 5 g. of a water-soluble red reactive dyestuff and 0-100 g. of a 1 percent solution of a polyethyleneglycol of molecular weight 10 to 10 at 25 C. under a roller pressure of kg./cm I By measuring the amount ofliquor absorbed (after squeezing) the following values at the indicated wetting agent concentrations are obtained:

Thus, the baths 2 to 6 lead to a much greater liquor absorption than does bath 1.

We claim:

1. A process for improving the absorptivity of cellulosic fabric which comprises applying to said fabric an aqueous composition containing 0.] to 2 g. per liter of a polyethyleneglycol of average molecular weight between 10" and 10" as an agent for increasing the absorptivity ofthe cellulose fabric and a textile improving agent.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 which comprises applying to the cellulose containing fabric an aqueous preparation that contains a dyestuff, a tlameproofing agent, a hydrophobizing agent or an antimycotic agent.

3. A process according to claim I which comprises applying to the cellulose containing fabric an aqueous preparation con taining a polyethyleneglycol having an average molecular weight from l0 to ID.

4. A process according to claim 1 which comprises padding the fabric with the aqueous preparation containing the polyethylene glycol. 

2. A process as claimed in claim 1 which comprises applying to the cellulose containing fabric an aqueous preparation that contains a dyestuff, a flameproofing agent, a hydrophobizing agent or an antimycotic agent.
 3. A process according to claim 1 which comprises applying to the cellulose containing fabric an aqueous preparation containing a polyethyleneglycol having an average molecular weight from 106 to
 107. 4. A process according to claim 1 which comprises padding the fabric with the aqueous preparation containing the polyethylene glycol. 